Pet Behavior Topics

Commonly Asked Questions

I work all day. How can I let my puppy out every 2 hours for a week?

Start on a weekend. That'll give you 2 good days to get a head start. Then, seriously consider taking off a personal day or two for housetraining - it's worth it, believe us. Out of the question? Try to get home at least twice during the day, and/or have a petsitter drop by a few times. One to two weeks of serious housetraining now will save you a lot of time and money later. Soon you'll have a fully housetrained puppy, and you won't have to worry about him while you're away. (Remember, do not crate your pup if someone can't let him out frequently during the first 7-10 days; use the puppy-proofed kitchen instead, described below, but keep the crate training going when you are home at night.)

I'm away from home 9 hours a day, I can't take time off or afford a petsitter, and none of my friends or family can help me out. Now what?

Very frankly, you are asking for trouble in the form of an unhappy puppy with serious behavioral problems. You should seriously consider whether a puppy can really fit into your lifestyle and financial means. If however this is a very short-term and temporary situation, and you can vigorously exercise and socialize your pup DAILY during your off-hours, here is your answer: Although difficult on you and your puppy, your mission is not impossible. Bear in mind that housetraining in this way will take longer, and your puppy will probably have more accidents. NEVER LEAVE A PUPPY IN A CRATE FOR THE ENTIRE DAY - he will soil it. Instead, give him a puppy-proofed area like the linoleum-floor kitchen. Make sure there's nothing he can reach or get into. Line the floor with newspaper for easy cleanup, leave the crate door open and line the crate with a blanket that smells like you, leave the radio on with calm music or a talk show, and give him plenty of durable chew-toys to occupy his time. During your off-hours and weekends, do crate train him as directed here. It will take longer, but he still needs to learn how to hold his bladder and bowel.

Why is it important to housetrain my puppy so quickly?

Every time your puppy soils inside your house, he learns "this floor is just as good a place to go as any," and the chances of him going there again will increase. The fewer accidents he has now, the quicker you’ll have him housetrained - which means he won’t need to spend any more time in the crate!

What should I do if my puppy has an "accident"?

Close supervision is key during his free run time, so watch for his "signs" that he has to go (sniffing, panting, circling, staring at you or the door, whining). If you don't catch him "in the act", just clean it up with a non-ammonia cleanser and chalk it up to not being there in time. Your pup won't know what he did wrong, so punishing him is not only a waste of time but confusing to him and completely ineffective (See Step 3 above.) Punishing a pup for an accident also teaches him to sneak off from you when he has to go ­ he might even become too afraid of you to eliminate in front of you, even when you take him outside! If you do happen to catch him "in the act", shout "OUTSIDE OUTSIDE OUTSIDE! " and take him outside immediately, and praise and treat him outside as he finishes up. Remember: Punishing him is much less effective than simply showing him where you want him to go and properly teaching him how to "hold it".

What if my puppy always soils the crate?

Are you sure he wasn't in there for more than an hour or two? If not, he may have been raised by a breeder who kept him in a crate all the time. If this is the case, the crate is useless. Do everything as instructed above, but instead of putting him in the crate, keep him on his leash which is tied to your belt loop (as in Step 3 above). When you have to leave the house, put him in your puppy-proofed kitchen, expect a puddle or a pile when you return home, and DON’T punish him for it!